Amalgamation
by itzhakts
Summary: Star Trek 2009; Serenity; Battlestar Galactica 2003; and, The Tenth Doctor.
1. The Exordium

_**Amalgamation**_

A crossover story of: Star Trek 2009, about four years after the Nero Incident; Serenity, about one year after the Operative Incident; Battlestar Galactica 2003, during the second season episode "Lay Down Your Burdens Part II", from the point when the fleet finds New Caprica; and, Doctor Who, sometime between the fourth series episodes "Journey's End" and "The End of Time".

Obviously I don't own the rights to any of these creations, but this story (as much as it can be) is mine. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy thinking and writing about it. Thanks Innogen for the encouragement.

Please comment, proof read, spell check, grammar check, etc. (or just plain Beta). Your help is much appreciated, itzhakts.

X X X X X

**Chapter 01: The Exordium**

**Ambassador Spock**

For the sake of clarity, which, at times, can be extremely difficult under the circumstances, I will use the designation "Prime" when referring to the reality/universe of which I was born into, and "Alternate" when referring to the reality/universe of which I currently reside. Four years ago, when Nero stranded me on T'Khut (Delta Vega in the Alternate standard tongue) so that I may watch the destruction of Vulcan, I instantly realized that I had not only traveled in space and time when emerging from the Hobus Singularity, but in realities. This Alternate reality was vastly different than the Prime one I had left behind. Aside from T'Khut's different designation in the standard tongue (the Delta Vega in the Prime Universe was, at the time, an automated lithium cracking station far from Vulcan); the Alternate Delta Vega was an ice world, lacking the great geologic activity of my T'Khut (known as Charis in the Prime standard tongue) due to its close proximity to Vulcan. Looking up in the cold blue sky, Vulcan seemed so far away. Though I knew that this was not my Vulcan being destroyed, I could not control the feeling that it was. My young counterpart of this Alternate reality was under the impression, and understandably so, that Nero's appearance and attack upon the USS Kelvin was the only event which had altered the his reality, this Alternate reality. The event did cause a departure from the timeline that would have been, but it was hardly the first or the only one. It was, rather, one of many.

There were too many discrepancies for Commander Spock's conclusion to be the case, but he would not have noticed them because he knows only this Alternate reality and none other. Just my experience alone on the Enterprise, NCC-1701, has shed much light on the enormity of differences: although the general shape of the Enterprise is the same, the size, strength, speed and complexity of the vessel (revealing much in the ideologies leading to its technological design as well as political and military directives and their differences from that of the Prime reality) are vastly different; the cultural integration of the vessel was equally vast and complex (including species which have been considered hostile or nonexistent in the Prime reality) instead of Spock being the sole non-human aboard, as I was; Curiously, the construction of the Enterprise was at the Riverside Shipyards in Iowa with its completion in 2258 instead being constructed in San Francisco Shipyards with its completion in 2245. Additionally, there are many curiosities (anomalies?) pertaining the counterparts of the crew for which I have had the honor of serving with in the Prime reality, some minor, some extremely complex.

Captain James Tiberius Kirk: My closest friend, was born on stardate 1277.1 (22 March 2233 of the Terran Gregorian Calendar) in the Prime reality where in this Alternate reality, his counterpart was born on stardate 2233.04 (14 January 2233 of the Terran Gregorian Calendar, 67 days earlier than in the Prime reality), a premature birth resulting from Nero's attack on the USS Kelvin directly (and indirectly, the result of my failure to save Romulus as I had promised. A failure which had also resulted in the premature death of his father, Lieutenant George Kirk). All these events were set in motion in the Prime reality and carried over to the Alternate reality; Jim's counterpart grew up in Iowa with his Uncle instead of off world (which, in this case was a blessing, in a way, since it spared him the atrocities of Governor Kodo of Tarsus IV); According to Admiral Christopher Pike, the counterpart of Fleet Captain Christopher Pike of the Prime reality (a dear friend who was confined to a mobile life support unit with the very limited ability to communicate with the society around him, cared for by the Talosians), Jim was once known to the Iowa State Police as "the only genius level repeat offender of the Mid-West"; Jim's Alternate counterpart also never met Ben Finney, Gary Mitchell, or Carol Marcus and had never served on the USS Republic or USS Farragut; The Alternate Jim was promoted to Captain of the USS Enterprise at the age of 25, where in the Prime reality, Prime Jim had obtained it at the age of 31; A curiosity occurring prior to the Nero incident is that Jim's brother's name is George Jonathan Kirk in this Alternate reality where in the Prime reality Jim's brother's name is George Samuel Kirk.

Hikaru Sulu: The Hikaru Sulu which I had served with in the Prime universe, a young man of Japanese descent born in San Francisco, California, Earth, was originally Enterprise's Chief Physicist. Later, upon the recommendation of Captain Kirk, began to pursue a career in command, transferring to flight operations. The Hikaru's counterpart of this Alternate reality is a real anomaly. He does, yet, does not appear to have one. The counterparts of Hikaru's parents in the Alternate reality seem to have adopted a child of Chinese descent and named him Hikaru. It would appear that the Alternate Hikaru had a very similar upbringing and had chosen to pursue many of the same desires that Prime Hikaru had, but Alternate Hikaru had chosen to directly pursue a command career and partake in flight operations. This fact creates an interesting case study on many levels, not the least pertaining to skills, customs and habits which are inherent as opposed to learned, and intelligence as opposed to extelligence. Additionally, what events let to the Sulus adopting?

Montgomery Scott: Though both experienced almost exactly the same events, to the best of my research and knowledge, both experienced very different outcomes. What had led to the promotion and praise for the Prime Montgomery Scott, led to the virtual exile of his counterpart in this Alternate reality. As unfortunate as it seemed to the Alternate Mr. Scott, his virtual exile served to greatly assist in the positive outcome of the Nero incident, including his early promotion as Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise.

Pavel Andreievich Chekov: Pavel Chekov is another fascinating anomaly. In the Prime reality, Mr. Chekov was a prodigy. It was an honor to mentor him. Bright and intuitive to the point that math and science were as music to a great composer. There was not much that young Mr. Chekov was not capable of. Young Mr. Chekov of the Prime reality pales in comparison to the younger Mr. Chekov of this Alternate reality. Even more fascinating is that Mr. Chekov of this Alternate reality was born four years earlier than his counterpart in the Prime. Could this have been a contributing factor to the difference in the level of intelligence? In addition to the aforementioned, and this is less of a surprise considering the facts that were pointed out, Alternate Mr. Chekov graduated from Starfleet Academy at age of 17 instead of 22, as his counterpart in the Prime reality did. Other than being conceived at an earlier time (which in itself is curious as to why), what set of circumstances has led to these more than great differences.

Leonard H. McCoy: Doctor McCoy, other than divorcing and enlisting in Starfleet at a later time in this Alternate reality as opposed to his counterpart in the Prime, he seems to be just as emotional, outspoken and generally irritating in this Alternate reality as he did when I served with the Prime counterpart. My counterpart in this Alternate reality will come to love and respect him for it in the coming decades.

Nyota Uhura: I have noticed that both counterparts are equally brilliant in the field of xenolinguistics, however, and this is due to the timeline of this Alternate reality, this Alternate Ms. Uhura was familiar with languages which the Prime one had not encountered until much later in her career, if at all. Additionally, and this is most curious, the Alternate Ms. Uhura has an intimate relationship with Commander Spock, my counterpart. Since Commander Spock was stationed at Starfleet Academy in this Alternate reality, where I was stationed aboard the Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike in the Prime, it seems to have provided the opportunity for a course of events to allow for this type of interaction between the two.

Commander Spock: My Alternate counterpart seems to have had the exact same upbringing that I had, including the incident where, at the age of seven, while undertaking the _Kahs-Wan_, I was saved by my cousin Selek (my older self). The only difference, as minor (in the larger scheme of things) an incident as it was, I-Chaya, my counterpart's Sehlat, survived his ordeal with the le-matya. It seems that from the point where my young counterpart departed Vulcan for Earth, the similarities in our lives ended. Though we both developed the Kobayashi Maru as a final work for graduation from Starfleet Academy, my counterpart remained at Starfleet Academy as an instructor, where I was assigned to the USS Enterprise, as mentioned, under the United Earth Space Probe Agency. Commander Spock of this Alternate reality experienced losses the like of which I have never even come close to: Witnessing the loss of his mother in a fall to her death; and, watching Vulcan consumed by a singularity, leaving him a member of an endangered species (approximately 10,000 Vulcans were able to escape in one form of craft or another the fate of Vulcan. The actual number of surviving Vulcans from all the colonies are on the order of less than 4.4 million. I am unable to be more specific at this time. Vulcans have not numbered this few in millennia. On a galactic scale, we are indeed an endangered species. I say 'we' since this is situation that I am now a part of as well).

Christine Chapel and Janice Rand seem to have little or no differences to their counterparts that I can detect other than being assigned to the Enterprise at a different date.

These discrepancies alone suggest many more differences between this Alternate reality and that of the Prime, whether minor or otherwise. For the past four years, I have searched many historical archives in an attempt to discover the major points of divergence, with reference to the political, economic and military anomalies. I found it illogical to pursue changes pertaining to that of species (though I am of the mind that the Preservers in this Alternate reality had conducted themselves differently than those of the Prime reality since all the species in this Alternate United Federation of Planets which I had never encountered in the Prime one are humanoids) or to differences in heavenly bodies (I may never be able to account what initiated this apparent butterfly effect).

This search began with the help of Mr. Keenser while at the Starfleet outpost on T'Khut, where I believe that I had found where and when some of the major divergences occurred, shedding much light onto some of the political, economic and military decisions made in the Alternate Starfleet's, among other agencies', mission priorities and designs. Prior to my departure from the Prime universe, Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard had told me of his personal experiences when attempting to stop the Borg from altering Earth's history. During the Battle of Sector 001, the Enterprise E followed a Borg sphere through a temporal vortex on stardate 50893 of the Prime reality (stardate 2373 of the Gregorian Calendar). He and his crew encountered Doctor Zefram Cochrane in 2063. If it was not the Jean-Luc Picard of whom I am acquainted with which participated in the action in this Alternate reality, then it was a counterpart of his from a reality closely resembling that of the Prime one. Further, circumventing security protocols, I was able to identify a number of events which took place in this Alternate universe that I am confident did not occur in the Prime one. One major example: the Temporal Cold War. It was discovered that the Alternate Romulan Star Empire had infiltrated high level positions in the Alternate Vulcan political, economic and military institutions with the help of an entity from the future, who, according to the intelligence agencies examining the era, was the same entity which assisted the Suliban. The analysts believe this entity to be a Romulan. After reviewing what was available to me, I tend to agree. The infiltration of Romulan agents into the Vulcan High Command under the influence of the future Romulan may explain many discrepancies in Vulcan's policies, including why Vulcan did not embrace first contact with the Terrans as they did in the Prime universe. The Romulan Star Empire was a great mystery during this time period in the Prime reality, even to the majority of Vulcans. Here in the Alternate reality, Nyota Uhura, a human Starfleet cadet was familiar with all three major dialects of the Romulan language. The Alternate Coalition of Planets, the precursor of the Alternate United Federation of Planets had diminished Romulan capacity to a point where other powers were able to take advantage of the empire. This series of events led to the diminishment of Romulan influence in this Alternate reality and had averted the Terran-Romulan war thus causing the Alternate Romulan Star Empire to develop into an atrophied shadow of what the Prime one had become. This has led to, among other things, a stronger Klingon Empire which had obtained Romulan technology through conquest rather than cooperation. The Klingons of this point of time have had a practical cloaking technology for many decades, where in the Prime reality they have none.

Another consequence of the Terran experience in this Alternate reality has caused Earth to become a much more dominant member in the United Federation of Planets. Though much more open to cultural diversity, it is "domineering", for lack of a better term, in Intersystem affairs, in the name of United Federation of Planets security in general and Terran security in particular. This direction has manifested itself in many substantial differences including the integration of systems and species unknown or considered hostile during the comparative era of the Prime reality. Encounters with the Borg, the Xindi, and temporal agents have led to this state of semi paranoia which did not exist in the Prime universe. One small and seemingly minor example of this "dominance" can be traced to the stardate. In this Alternate reality, the stardate is compliant with the Terran Gregorian Calendar (at least in years. Each hundredth of a stardate (0.01) is exactly 3 days, 15 hours, 39 minutes, 41.00 seconds long when calculated in timepieces of the Prime reality. Each hundredth of a stardate is in turn divided into 24 hour increments, meaning that although the terminology of 24 hour days, 60 minute hours, 60 second minutes, etc. is used in this reality, each day is approximately 3.6256 times longer than the Prime reality. Actual terrestrial (Terran) chronometrical measurements are the same in both realities).

Currently, instead of continuing to attempt to find all the different nuances between realities, I have elected to resume pursuing my primary goal, which had begun in the Prime reality, and attempt reunification. I am not sure what it will entail, now that Vulcan is no longer and its culture and heritage all but gone, but I must try in any case. My father, excuse me, Commander Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek, has tried to discourage me from pursuing this endeavor, but it would not be the first time that I had heard such protests. I plan on meeting with the Federation Council in the near future to present my itinerary. I hope that I will meet with a more positive audience than I had in the Prime reality. If this United Federation of Planets had absorbed so much with such enthusiasm, then perhaps there is hope that peace and cooperation may be had between the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets. After all, at this time in the Prime reality, no one would have imagined an alliance with the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire.

X X X X X

**Carol Marcus**

Carol Marcus had just received her doctorate in molecular biology and was sure that, at the age of 19, she was ready for anything. Terraforming was nothing new, but it was what interested her most. She had applied for a position at the United Federation of Planets Cultural Observation Outpost at 34Tauri(2020). Her mentor had connections and she didn't let up till he used them (not that he had to work hard. As soon as they reviewed Carol's official CV, they were more than happy to accept her). Carol questioned her mentor repeatedly about what he was doing and who he was talking to. _If she wasn't so damn cute and so damn brilliant and so damn persuasive_, he thought to himself on more than one occasion, _I would make sure that she would be expelled from the campus permanently_. He secretly wanted to be with her, but he knew that those were the day dreams of a "dirty old man". Perhaps Carol knew this of her mentor and secretly used it against him. He eventually became so comfortable around her, and so used to her presence, that he sometimes, accidentally, mind you, blurted out something that was semi-confidential. Perhaps, subconsciously, he really didn't care or thought that the information wasn't so important and wanted to tell her only because he knew what her reaction would be. He also knew that she could be trusted. Carol knew that whatever was said or done within these chambers, stayed within these chambers. This was one of those times, but he did not want her to know that she was already cleared for the information that he was about to reveal and thus privy to it. Information, he knew, she would consume hungrily. He was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Helioforming?" Carol repeated incredulously, "What do you mean helioforming?"

"I lose myself around you," the mentor got up and walked to the other end of the room littered with books, pads and equipment. "I should not have said that."

"But you did," she turned around in her chair following him as he moved, "Spill it professor, you said helioforming. Is that what I think it means?"

"What do you think?" The professor found what he was looking for, a bottle with a bright green liquid inside. He began moving things around looking for something else while Carol was mulling over the news. He found it, a glass that has probably not been washed in a long while.

"They are creating suns?" More rhetorical than an actual question, Carol looked astonished at the revelation, not even aware that she had blurted it out. When she saw the glass he was pouring his drink into, astonishment turned into nausea. "Don't you think you should wash that?"

The professor turned back to her, and then looked at the glass, "I just disinfected it with my drink." Looking at her for a moment, seeing her disapproval, he let out a humph, "It's fine, it's sterile."

"How is that done?" Carol is overcome by awe.

"This liquid is alcohol, alcohol can sterilize anything."

"You know that's not true and you know I don't mean the glass." Carol waited a few more seconds. When he didn't respond, she raised her voice, "You know perfectly well what I mean."

Again, he lets out a humph. Returning to the seat across from her, he sits down heavily, almost spilling his drink. Looking to see that he saved every last drop, he notices that Carol has not moved her eyes from him. "I am not allowed to say."

Carol was in shock. She had never heard him say something like that to her before. Carol couldn't believe it. She looked him in the eyes, but couldn't read him. This was wrong. She could always guess what was going through his mind. He's up to something, she told herself. Carol's expression changed from shock to stern.

Carol's mentor tried not to look amused. He hoped he succeeded. Another minute of silence, then, "That is, yesterday I wouldn't have been allowed to say, but you have been approved to join the COO at 34Tauri(2020)." He wasn't quite sure what happened, but his drink wound up all over him, as well as a short blonde with blue eyes hugging him and kissing him.

"You need a shave," Carol let out after she began to get burns on her lips from kissing him on the cheek a few times.

"And, it appears, a new drink as well. Have you no restraint, girl? What kind of scientist are you?"

"An extremely ecstatic one." Carol gets up and he begins to wipe himself off with his hands. Carol sees a box of tissues on half covered wit books. She manages to pull it out without creating an avalanche an hands it to him. Her mentor, in the mean time has found his glass and stares at its emptiness. "Here, give me your glass, I'll pour you another." Carol took the glass and went to the general location where she had seen the professor, her mentor, with the bottle. Where could he have hidden it so quickly without her noticing? She moved some things around and saw a glimpse of crystal with a green hue. "Well, don't keep it a secret, tell me about it."

"First bring me my glass. Furthermore, it is a secret."

"I will, you started it, and I can listen while I pour." She said as she took the bottle and headed for a small sink to clean the glass.

"The system has eight stars, two (B and C) in a joint orbit and three (F, G and H) located within a dense toroidal nebula with interesting EM properties. The UFPCOO is located hidden behind a duck blind on one of the asteroids located in the third belt of 'G'. The brown dwarves located in the system orbiting stars A through E, have somehow been altered to become dwarf stars. I don't know how, I am not privy to that information, but now you are and will probably learn about it once you're there." Carol rolled her eyes, not believing him, but also making sure that he didn't see, just in case. The professor continued, "The native inhabitants are human, apparently descended…"

"Human?" Carol turned around with the drink, almost spilling it. Suddenly she noticed something with the professor, "When did you have time to change your shirt?"

"Not only can I talk and dress simultaneously, I can also chew gum and walk at the same time." Carol walks over and hands him the drink. He takes it, "Sit down over there and don't come close till I finish it." Carol smiles and does as she's told. "Now, where was I," the professor pauses for a moment, gathering his thoughts, "Oh, yes, apparently they are descended from the Exodus that took place during the first decade of the 22nd century toward the end of the Post Atomic Horror. According to Vulcan historical records there were vehicles of many sorts which left Earth and due to an inherent defect of the warp generators, the fleet had disappeared. That's actually why the Vulcans decided to help the Terran Starfleet of the time. They were afraid that we would contaminate the trade routes and putting their transports at risk."

"Wait a second," Carol interrupted, "I thought that the Vulcan's didn't believe in time travel till the Nero incident (not that I'm so sure that they'll publicly admit it anyway)?"

"I knew you were a fast study," he told her cynically. After seeing her make a face (_Did she actually stick her tongue out at me?_), he continued, "Interesting double standard, isn't it? Anyway," He waited for her to become serious again then continued, "the theory is this: these people were certain that Earth would no longer sustain life and they left looking for greener pastures. One of the world governments at the time, an Anglo-Sino Alliance, decided that 34Tauri(2020) would be their best bet. They somehow stole blueprints for Cochrane's warp drive, built it not exactly to specifications, and somehow created a stable temporal anomaly in an area of space that each of their convoy went through over a period of time. All of them wound up where they wanted to be, but, unknown to them, about half a millennia prior to when they wanted to be.

"The Vulcans destabilized the temporal anomaly and didn't bother to tell Earth at the time that it was there or what happened to the vessels. Without a clue of what happened to them, the people of the Exodus assumed that everyone on Earth was dead when telemetry from Earth ceased (at the time anomaly was destabilized) and that they were all that was left of humanity."

"If all this is true, it would have been locked away. How did you find out?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, and we've never had this conversation." The Professor got up and headed toward the door. He stopped and turned around toward Carol, "You going to stay here all night, are you?"

"Is that it?" Carol got up and headed toward him, "Is that all you are going to tell me?"

"It's after midnight and I have a class tomorrow morning." After a moment of a stern face, he smiled, "Besides, you have till 0800 tomorrow morning to pack your bags and get to the station or you'll miss your transport."

"0800?" She said in shock, "why didn't you tell me?" Carol ran out of the office and headed home to pack. The "dirty old man" smiled to himself, pleased.

X X X X X

The next morning at 0600, she realized that she had no clue of where to go. "Which station?" Carol shouted out. She called the professor in a panic. In his thick Russian accent, he shot, "You ready yet? I've been waiting for you outside for almost an hour."

Realizing now that he had planned on escorting her to the station all along, she asked, "How am I going to take all this stuff with me?"

"You know, without experience, genius doesn't mean a hell of a lot. Someone will be by and make sure that all your stuff is dealt with. You did pack everything, didn't you?"

Carol didn't know what to do. She packed her clothes and some personal effects, but the rest of her belongings where all over the place. As she looked at the chaos around her apartment, she answered, "Kind of…"

"Have you packed your clothes, hygienics and personal files?"

"Yes, but what about the rest of…"

"Don't worry about it," He cut her off, enjoying the panic of youthful inexperience, _I'm a bad man_, he smiled to himself. He considered for a moment, then decided to let her off the hook, "I'll make sure that you receive everything that you need and the rest will be put in storage. Get your ass down here already before you'll be late and embarrass the hell out of me by showing that I was exaggerating my praises for you. Once you're there and they can't reach me so easily, you can screw up to your heart's content." The professor closed the line when he saw Carol running out of the front entrance of the complex toward him. When she entered the vehicle, he looked her dead in the eyes and said, "It's about time." As soon as the professor's eyes were on the road, Carol turned toward him for a fraction of a second made a face and stuck her tongue out at him.

X X X X X

**Commander Spock**

First Officer's Personal Log, USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Stardate 2262.73, Commander Spock Recording.

I have just returned from an extended leave with my father and Ambassador Spock, my older self from another reality. We have completed a tour of the Vulcan colonies. Some, like Paan Mokar (also known as Weytahn in the Andorian Standard Tongue), P'Jem and Vulcanis Lunar, are older than the Federation itself. Of five major colonies and dozens of minor ones, all located on different worlds in systems in the proximity of 40 Eridani, census indicates that there are approximately 4.4 million Vulcans left of a population which numbered more than six billion. The Vulcan colony, which Ambassador Spock helped found, has become the new home of our culture, knowledge and Katra. The new Praetor and Senate have moved into their permanent campus, however there is much work to be done with regards to the rest of the High Command's councils, ministries, directorates and academies. The new seat of Vulcan is both a reminder of the savage end Vulcan had suffered and that of a hopeful beginning (not logical, I know, but these have been difficult times).

Ambassador Spock has told us much of the Vulcan he has grown up on. I found it quite fascinating that our childhood was identical, with the exception of I-Chaya. He has told me that his mother had lived to an old age (for a Human) and that my father did as well (living well into the mid 24th century). He has also told me of his experiences with what he termed as 'Reunification', how important he believed it was, the sacrifices he made in order to obtain it, and his plans to continue the effort in this reality. My father had objected. When asked what I think, I could offer no persuasive argument one way or the other, I simply had not considered it and don't know anything at all on the subject. Ambassador Spock smiled. I was unprepared for such a response. I was unsure as how to react. Ambassador Spock told me that he had not considered the matter at my age. He went on to tell us about the UFP-Klingon Alliance which he and his (my?) father participated in and described the political and economic necessities regarding the situation of the time (his past and our future(?)).

I find Ambassador Spock to be very emotional. Could it be that he inherited much more of his mother's genome than I did? Could it be that one day, I will find myself lacking when considering only logic? It doesn't sound likely, but time will tell. Ambassador Spock was especially emotional when discussing his crewmates from his Enterprise, and mine.

I have to admit, if Spock did not convince me to give Jim Kirk a second chance, I probably would not have gotten to know him as I do now. Now, I find it difficult not to imagine him around while on duty (and off duty playing chess).

Additionally, Ambassador Spock had discussed his friendship with Dr. McCoy. I have found the verbal matches with Dr. McCoy very pleasing and entertaining, even though I make sure that I reflect only annoyance.

As much as I deny that the two are dear to me, it seems that Nyota has always been able to read me as an open book. And, it seems, does Ambassador Spock. Only my father seems oblivious to such matters (although it would not surprise me if he had some insight).

As pleasing as it was to be with my father and my older self, it is pleasing, if not more so, to be back.

Nyota has planned a private evening for the both of us in my quarters. I find myself eager to join her and not consider anything else during this period. Tomorrow, I return to duty. Tonight, I recover from my leave.

End Log.

X X X X X

**The Doctor**

He was wearing a blue gray button down shirt with pin stripes, the top button unfastened with his tie loose around his neck, a wrinkled slender brown pinstripe suit with close fitting pants and a tight jacket (all the buttons were fasten except for the bottom one, for some reason, he never managed it for his hands often loved to be in his pockets) and extremely worn white Converse All Star trainers. His brown trenchcoat was thrown over one of the banisters. The Doctor was in deep thought. All he could think about was "four knocks". Was he really going to die? He hated prophecies. Well, that wasn't exactly true (he actually loved them), but in this case, it was. Sitting in the chair with hands in his pockets and feet on the central console: brooding, agonizing, dwelling, considering, desponding, speculating, lamenting, and worrying. In short, the Doctor was so self absorbed that he did not notice that the TARDIS was throwing a fit till he hit the ground.

"Oi," The Doctor looked up from where he landed. "What are you on about?" Getting up, he looked over the controls to see what was going on, all the time, rubbing his buttocks and lower back with both hands. He just managed to grab hold of something when gravity seemed to have switched from the floor to the wall behind him, "Oi, What's this?" Everything was suddenly right side up. There was no movement, no sound. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Three knocks actually. The Doctor stood absolutely still, as if paralyzed and listened. No fourth knock. Was he relieved? He wasn't sure.

"Doctor!" came a female voice from outside. Curious, the Doctor went to the door and cautiously opened it. There was a very short girl about 25 years old at the door with very long strawberry-blonde hair and blue green eyes wearing what seemed to be a nightgown with the bottom in tatters and a sash of the same material tied around her very slender waist and her feet wrapped up, also in the same material as the dress. "Hi," she said looking up at him as he opened the door. After a second of him looking down at her with absolutely no reaction other than shock and his mouth hanging open, she rolled her eyes and then pushed her way in. She gave a quick look around, "You've changed the theme. I like it. Much better than the spartan look that you always insisted on having. What changed your mind?"

The Doctor looked outside the doors at the location the TARDIS landed. _Was this E-Space?_ He looked back at the girl playing and working with the console. She looked up at him. He asked, "Romana?" The girl smiled a great big hypnotic smile, all teeth and bright eyes.

Romana looks him over from top to bottom. "You have humongous teeth and ears," she noticed, approaching him, and continued, "They're kind of disproportionate to the rest of you."

He was taken aback at the remark, "Oi! You're one to talk! For someone who's so skinny and tiny, you've got yourself a pair of humongous..." He paused, looking for the right word, "uh, humongous, uh, em, uh, ..." not sure of what to say, the doctor just kept gesturing toward them while keeping his distance. What word would suffice? When Romana mouthed the word 'mammae', then the doctor obliged by repeating it out loud, "mammae. Thank you."

"Yes, well," Romana said in a happy go lucky manner looking down at them, "I'm still getting used to them. They're kind of a pain in the back, but I kind of like them. I think that they're sort of fun, don't you? Anyway, don't be so defensive. You look cute. I bet you look even cuter when you smile with those teeth. So let's see."

Finally coming to terms that he is actually seeing her, and that he is not alone, he smiles as he has seldom smiled before, "Yes I am. I am cute. And so are you, you beautiful you. And you are here! I love it that you are here. By the way, how did the Lady President of Galifrey wind up here?"

"Rassilon," she said, her smile fading with his question. Upon her reaction, the Doctor's smile faded as well. Romana continued, "He wasn't too happy that I was making peace overtures and decided to take power and exile me here."

The Doctor headed for the console, pulled out his tortous-shell rimmed square glasses and put them on, and looked over the readings around the console. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, exactly. Time here does not flow as it does in N-Space." She looks at him, "You know that. He sent me here while I was in my sleep chambers. Didn't even let me get dressed. Even worse, when later I regenerated, I wound up being a great deal shorter than I was previously and had to improvise my attire a little."

"I see," The doctor looked up from his console at Romana. "How did you get the TARDIS' attention?"

Romana came closer to the Doctor, looking at what he was doing at the console, "I scavenged material and built a make shift Spatio-Temporal Beacon."

The Doctor checked his instruments and confirmed with Romana, "No one else stranded here, I'm guessing."

"No, just me, myself and I. You mind if I get bathed and dressed? It's been a while."

"Be my guest. You can manage by yourself, yes?"

"Be back in a bit." Romana left the control room and headed into the bowels of the TARDIS.

The Doctor began concentrating on the controls remembering the procedure for returning to N-Space. Everything went smoothly with the TARDIS, but he returned the the same position he was in before arriving in E-Space: The Doctor was in deep thought. All he could think about was "four knocks". Was he really going to die? He hated prophecies. Well, that wasn't exactly true (he actually loved them), but in this case, it was. Sitting in the chair with hands in his pockets and feet on the central console: brooding, agonizing, dwelling, considering, desponding, speculating, lamenting, and worrying. In short, the Doctor was so self absorbed that he did not notice that the TARDIS was throwing another fit till he hit the ground. This time, so did Romana, right behind him. Wearing a tight royal blue v-neck T-shirt, a pair of tighter slightly worn jeans, very worn white Converse All Stars and a very oversized hooded black jacket with the sleeves rolled up revealing the fleece lining, she had finished freshening herself and returned to the control room, hoping to come up behind the doctor and surprise him out of his melancholy, only to be dropped on her posterior, just as the Doctor had.

"Oi," The Doctor looked up from where he landed. "What are you on about again?" Getting up, he looked over the controls to see what was going on, all the time, rubbing his buttocks and lower back with both hands.

"That's an expression I have never heard you use. Something you picked up from your visits with the Earthlings I gather?" Romana grabbed hold of the back of the chair and pulled herself up, also rubbing her buttocks and lower back with both hands, "Ouch!"

"You OK?" the Doctor looked over at her.

"Yeah, just my pride. How about you?"

"Yeah, just my pride, too." The Doctor continued to check out the TARDIS controls. "We seem to be in some kind of store room."

"Did we reach N-Space?"

"Yes we did, but something's different," The Doctor looked at her, noticing, "you managed to find everything in your size except for the jacket? You're drowning in that."

"That's what's different?" Romana just looked at him.

"No," the Doctor refocused on the task at hand, "With these readings, I think that it's an alternate reality. The lights are still on and nothing has died, so I'm guessing that this reality is close enough to ours that the power isn't sour. The TARDIS is showing a variety of lifeforms in the vicinity. We're located on an asteroid behind an invisibility screen." The Doctor looks at Ramona and smiles that big wide toothy smile and says, "Your excellency Romanadvoratrelundar, former Lady President of Galifrey, may I have the honor of inviting you on another adventure?"

Romana looks the Doctor dead in the eyes, "I like the jacket," then suddenly, she smiles widely, adventure truly in her eyes, and runs for the door.

"Allons-y", the Doctor exclaims, watching her excitement, then runs after her, grabbing his trenchcoat on the way.

X X X X X

**Admiral Adama**

BSG 75 Watch Log

**[Feelings on being promoted to Admiral and reasoning for promoting Lee to Commander. REVIEW THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF "RESURRECTION SHIP - Part 2" THROUGH "THE CAPTAIN'S HAND"]**

**FOCUS ON:**

**THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ADAMA AND ROSLIN ON HOPE**

**ADAMA COPES WITH ROSLIN'S DETERIORATION**

**WHY IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION TO PROMOTE LEE OVER TIGH OR OTHER MORE EXPERIENCED OFFICERS IN THE MILITARY**

**CONFLICTS BETWEEN LEE AND ADAMA/ROSLYN/TIGH**

**ADAMA'S THOUGHTS REGARDING BALTAR'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT**

**Cylons**

The Skinjobs begin to reevaluate their decision to let the Humans go.

**[REVIEW "THE PLAN" AND THE EPISODES "EPIPHANIES" TO "LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS - Part 2"]**

**FOCUS ON:**

**WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN "DOWNLOADED" AND "LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS - Part 2" THAT CHANGED THE CYLON PERSPECTIVE FROM CAPRICA SIX AND BOOMER LOBBYING FOR PEACE WITH THE HUMANS AND CAVIL'S MESSAGE THAT EACH WILL GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS TO THE CYLON OCCUPATION OF THE HUMAN COLONY ON NEW CAPTRICA?**

**WAS GINA IN CONTACT WITH THE CYLONS AFTER HER ESCAPE FROM PEGASUS?**

**DID GINA INITIATE THE "PEACE WITH THE CYLONS MOVEMENT" BY HERSELF OR WAS SHE ACTING ON ORDERS FROM GALACTICA CAVIL PRIOR TO HIS EXECUTION? IF IT WAS BY HERSELF, WHAT IS HER PURPOSE? IF IT WAS ON ORDERS FROM THE CYLONS, HOW DID THEY MAKE CONTACT PRIOR TO THE CAVILS' EXECUTION?**

**WHY DID GINA COMMIT SUICIDE? WAS IT INTENTIONAL TO LET THE CYLONS KNOW WHERE THEY WERE? Baltar: How did you find us? Doral: Oh, it was quite by accident, actually. We were over a light-year away from here when we detected the radiation signature of a nuclear detonation. **


	2. The 'Verse

Please comment, proof read, spell check, grammar check, etc. (or just plain Beta). Your help is much appreciated, itzhakts.

X X X X X

**Chapter 02: The 'Verse**

**Messaline**

Serenity: 03-K64 Firefly class mid-bulk transport. Though an unimpressive vessel, she is the representation of freedom from the Alliance to those who reside within her. Those who reside within her love her. "Love," Serenity's captain once said to the little albatross, "You can learn all the math in the 'Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as a turn of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta' fall down, tells you she's hurtin' before she keels. Makes her a home."

Serenity: named after the Battle of Serenity Valley. A constant reminder to the crew of who their captain and first mate are. Even after the war, the crew of Serenity has bee through a lot. It's been a long couple of months since their last meeting with the Operative on Mr. Universe's world. Serenity lost her pilot and preacher (longer, actually, for the preacher). Picking up the pieces is never easy. Serenity's crew has been struggling to cope with the loss. Each in their own way.

Serenity's crew has been struggling to find work as well. A week ago, her Captain made a contact, a new job. Nothing spectacular, mind you. A job that's not exactly honest either. In any case, it is work and it will pay to keep Serenity flying and food on the table. It took some planning, but the Captain said it will work. He and his partners in crime will be gone a few days in the shuttle. It's best to keep Serenity out of sight, the Captain said. The Ambassador found work as well. She'll be gone only a day and then meet up with Serenity again.

The little albatross still refuses to sit in the pilot's seat. She ops to sit in the Captain's seat (not that the captain minds. He understands completely, and couldn't blame her if he tried). The dinosaurs are still there, no one has removed them. Sometimes, when in a brooding mood, the first mate would clean the pilot's seat, the console and the dinosaurs spotless. Then she would sit in there and play with the plastic creatures for hours on end. It was her shrine. Little albatross understood the first mate. She felt the same way, well, sort of. Afterwards, the first mate would go to her cabin and not come out for hours more. No one has ever heard her, or seen any sign of it, but the little albatross knew that the first mate's been crying. There are times when even the Captain plays some with the little plastic dinosaurs, when he thinks no one is watching, that is. He never cried though. That's not his thing.

Serenity's getting close to her destination. The little albatross returns to her captain's seat after a quick bite to eat. River, Serenity's albatross, takes Serenity down toward a remote site on the moon's surface. Meanwhile, in Shuttle Two, Zoë goes through preflight while Mal and Jayne stow their cargo. In Shuttle One, Inara has finished her preflight and is waiting for River's cue that they are within the atmosphere and that it is safe to depart. At fifteen kilometers above the surface, the shuttles are cleared for launch. Outside, fully extended out of their mutual bays, both shuttles take off in opposite directions.

"Good luck to all," River says over the radio as she takes Serenity toward her landing coordinates.

"Have good sex," Kaylee is heard saying over the radio from the Engine Room.

Both Inara and Mal simultaneously reply, "Thanks." In Shuttle Two, Zoë and Jayne turn toward Mal with interesting looks on their faces. The captain got a nice kick out of it. At the same time in Shuttle One, Inara smiles. Beside River in the Pilot's seat, Simon sits, smirking.

The scene from the window is breathtakingly beautiful with a clean desert landscape, a clear crisp blue sky and two crescent moons high above. In the distance, coming in from slightly below the moons, a point of light appears, growing as it gets closer. "What is that?" Simon asks. The glowing object whips past Serenity at supersonic speed and hits the ground. The shockwave causes slight turbulence.

Suddenly, River gets a cold chill. "She's hurt," she shouts out. Serenity is turned so tightly that the gravity generators barely compensate for the g-forces of the maneuver, "we have to help her!". River lands Serenity a little too close to the crater for comfort, shuts down the engines, and runs out. Simon heads for the medical bay to get his bag and runs past Kaylee who is looking for something by the cargo bay doors. River is already at the steaming crater looking down at a large shuttle. Simon follows her.

"Don't get any closer," Kaylee shouts out. "The heat will cook you. We need to wait till it cools down in order to get there shirt sleeved."

Simon runs up next to River and looks down at the shuttle. "It's OK, there's no hurry," River turns to Simon, smiling. "She's getting better, just sleeping now."

Simon looks at her confused, "How is she getting better?"

"Just is. That's' what she does, the lost soul," River looks to Simon and then back to the shuttle.

Kaylee comes up behind Simon in an EVA suit, with a rope in one hand and a case in the other. "Here," she hands the case to Simon and unwinds the rope.

"What's the suit for?" Simon asks, wondering what Kaylee is planning.

"It's to protect me from the heat." Kaylee hands Simon an earpiece then closes the visor to her suit, "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Simon answers. Kaylee takes the case from Simon and hands him the rope which is hooked up to her suit. River takes the other end of the rope, runs to Serenity and secures it to the hull, then runs back to the edge of the crater to see what's going on. Letting out the rope as Kaylee makes her way down into the crater, Simon is wondering about the survivor that River is in touch with.

"I've never seen anything like this," Simon hears Kaylee say in his earpiece. "Serenity would be bug splat if it hit this hard. There ain't nothin' but a couple of scratches on this thing. She's one tough shuttle." Kaylee takes out something from the case and looks at it, "Ain't no radiation that I can detect. That's funny "

"What's funny," Simon asks.

"This thing ain't hot," Kaylee holds the device closer to the hull, making her way around it. "That shouldn't be possible." Kaylee pauses for a few seconds, then turns to the wall of the crater. "The wall's still hot, really hot. I'm gonna' open my visor, see if this thing is working, see if there's any heat radiating from the hull." Kaylee comes right up against the hull and lifts her visor.

Nervously, Simon yells out, "Are you sure that's sa..." never having a chance to finish his sentence before Kaylee is exposes herself.

"I don't feel any heat," Kaylee puts the device back in her case and takes off her glove. Slowly she approaches the hull of the shuttle. "I can feel the heat from the wall of the crater from here, but the side of my hand facing the shuttle doesn't feel heat. It's cool. I see a hatch. I'm gonna' try an' open the canopy. The nose is buried. I don't even need to climb. The hull of the shuttle should protect whoever's inside from the heat of the crater."

Simon runs back to Serenity and puts on an EVA suit. After returning, he throws as much of the rope as possible down the crater and makes his way down with his medical bag fastened to his waist. While Simon is climbing down, River runs back to Serenity to retrieve something. As Kaylee manages to pop the canopy, Simon arrives. Kaylee looks at Simon and notices something, "you have this on wrong again. When we have time, we'll go over how to use this thing again."

Embarrassed, Simon looks at her, "It's been a while since I had to use one." Inside they see a lean petite girl with light blonde hair, a pale complexion and a childlike face wearing what seem to be green fatigues.

After climbing into the cockpit, Simon takes off his helmet and gloves and examines the girl. "She's not breathing. I don't feel a pulse. She's not cold." Puzzled, he looks up at Kaylee and makes a decision, "Tell River to get an EVA stretcher. We'll take her to the medical bay and see if we can save her somehow."

Kaylee turns around and is surprised to see that River is standing there wearing an EVA suit and holding the object she retrieved from Serenity. "Stretcher's here," Kaylee announces. River just smiles.

After River and Simon manage to place a mask on the girl and wrap her in what seems to be a sleeping bag with no opening, Simon touches something on the bright orange bag which turns it into what appears to be a tube with a flat back. Looking at something else on the bag Simon, with confidence, announces, "She's secure. Let's get her out of here."

X X X X X

Once in Serenity's medical bay, Simon begins examining the girl using the imaging scanner. "This can't be right." Simon looks absolutely dumbfounded after going over everything twice. "According to this: she has two hearts; two livers; two extra ribs; two lymphatic systems; no lungs; a core temperature below freezing, even though she feels warm to the touch; and, a mess of organs I couldn't even begin to guess what they are."

"She's alive, right," River says, more of a statement than a question. "She'll be OK."

"Well, she does have brainwaves. Notwithstanding the fact that I have never seen or heard of patterns like these ever before, it would suggest that she is alive," Simon continues to examine the girl. Suddenly, he pauses; something on the monitor catches his eye. "Her hearts are beating, but very weakly and extremely intermittently, so much so that without the equipment, I wouldn't even be able to detect it." Simon considers further. The girl appears to be a typical human being on the outside, but the examination states otherwise. "I'm going to take a blood sample." Simon turns to one of the drawers, "River, have you ever heard of any experiments like this one?" He finds what he needs and turns back.

"No," was the reply. River approaches the girl, looking her over. "Simon?"

"Hmm?"

"What if she isn't human?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if she isn't human?"

"You mean, like another species?"

"Yeah," River is suddenly overcome by deep thought.

As Simon inserts the needle into the girl's arm, he asks, "Where would she have come from?" They both see the color of the blood and look at each other.

X X X X X

While River sits in the infirmary with the girl, Simon walks toward the shuttle where Kaylee has been working; the EVA suit hung half in the cockpit, half out. _Like a child with a new toy_, Simon thinks to himself as he watches the only girl in the world for him doing what she does best. "Want some dinner?"

"Dinner?" Kaylee looks up and notices that there is much less light than when she started. "Didn't we have breakfast a few hours ago, right before we landed?"

"Well, yes, but here, the sun is going down, so it's too late for lunch." Simon grabs the rope and makes his way down the crater. The sides are not cold yet, but they are far from hot. Actually pleasant to the touch. He heads toward Kaylee and they kiss. As they pull apart, Kaylee notices that Simon has some soot on his face that wasn't there a second ago. She tries to wipe it away, only to leave a larger mark. "How about a shower," Simon suggests.

"You gonna' scrub my back?" Kaylee asks with a big smile.

"I sure will."

"Shiny."

X X X X X

The next morning Simon checks in on his patient. She looks so human, but she's obviously not. It just doesn't make sense. He cannot make heads or tails of how she became this way. She looks as if she's breathing, but she has no lungs. Simon can't get over the fact that her chest rises and sets as if she is inhaling and exhaling, but how can that be? What is the purpose of it? To mimic a human being? Now that doesn't make sense. It probably should not be a surprise that her blood contains no hemoglobin since her body has nowhere apparent to collect oxygen from. Could she be an Alliance experiment like his sister and the people of Miranda? Her pulse seems to be stronger, not by much, but still. The beats, four in succession, never overlap.

"She's like a sleeping angel, ain't she," startling Simon out of his reverie the voice came from behind him by the entrance of the medical bay. It's Kaylee wearing her usual big bright smile. She looks as if she had just woken up.

"Yes," he answers.

Kaylee comes closer to Simon and puts her hand around his waist. He does likewise, never taking his eyes off the instruments. Kaylee turns his face to hers, "did you have breakfast yet?"

"No, not yet. It's my turn to cook, right?" Simon is conversing, but Kaylee knows his mind is elsewhere.

"I'll do it, that's OK." Kaylee turns back to the girl, "take care of sleeping beauty here." Turning to Simon, she mentions, "Inara's checked in. She'll be back in about five hours."

"That's nice," Simon answers automatically, his attention still on the instruments and the mysterious girl.

Kaylee just looks at him. She's seen this look before and knows when her lover answers automatically without thought. She smiles for a fraction of a second and says, "There's an insect the size of a rat climbing up your leg."

"That's nice," again, Simon answers automatically.

Kaylee giggles. "Uh, huh," Kaylee looks at Simon for a second, then to the girl and then walks out of the Infirmary.

As soon as Kaylee lets go, Simon wakes up, "What was that?"

Pretending to be hurt, she answers, "Oh, nothing. I'll go get breakfast going." Kaylee turns right as soon as she's out of the medical bay as Simon watches her through the window going up the gantry. He has the nagging feeling that he's done something wrong.

X X X X X

River and Kaylee greet Inara as she opens the airlock doors leading to her shuttle. Both excited to tell Inara what they have encountered. After the "briefing", Inara stops by the medical bay to ask Simon if there is anything that she can do to help.

"River, pick up the gorramn line, now!" Said the tinny voice over the speakers.

"Sounds like the perfect crime went less than perfect," Inara says to Simon, in a joking voice, "Wonder what's going on now?"

Kaylee is seen from the windows of the infirmary running toward the cargo bay. "Yes, captain, everything's shiny. I'm working on it now." she says, apparently to no one. Everyone feels Serenity taking off in a hurry. Kaylee yells out to Simon and Inara, "I could use some help here." Simon secures his patient and runs over to Kaylee. Inara is already there helping her.

Mal's voice is over the speaker, "don't launch them till we're on board and ready to rabbit."

"Aye, aye, captain." Kaylee spat out as she, Simon and Inara maneuver five barrels into the Bomb Bay doors. With the help of the cranes, they manage to barely fit all five of the units into the floor of the cargo hold. "OK, River, we're ready over here."

"We'll be in position in less than a minute," River seems almost as if she's playing a game.

"We'll be in position in two," Zoë answers back.

Kaylee double checks everything, then to Inara, "I'm heading for the engine room, when River gives you the signal, hit the release."

"Got it," Inara replies. Kaylee head to the engine room and Simon to the infirmary.

Outside Serenity, there is dead silence. Shuttle number two approaches, docks and then Serenity's bomb bay doors open and the barrels are released, each departing on a different vector the same time as Serenity departs. Inside Serenity exiting from the airlock to shuttle two, Mal has a huge grin on his face, while Zoë and Jayne look a little worn. All three have scrapes and bruises. Mal and Jayne are bleeding from their arm and leg, respectively. "That was exhilarating, wasn't it."

"That it was, sir." was Zoë's typical deadpan answer when she thinks that something was a bad idea.

The three head down the gangway toward the medical bay and notice that there seems to be a stray there with Inara and Simon on either side.

As soon as the three walk in, Simon gets to work on them.

"Looks like you found yourself a souvenir, doctor." Mal jests.

"Yeah," was the only thing that Jayne could get out, practically drooling over the unconscious girl. Mal looks over to him and does a double take, nothing could spoil his mood right now, Mal's smile gets even bigger.

Zoë doesn't seem to approve of Jayne's reaction, "Jayne!"

"Yeah," still looking at the girl.

"You're drooling." Zoë calmly notifies him. Jayne snaps out of it.

"Yes," Simon answers Mal's question "It looks like you three have no lack of souvenirs yourselves."

"Well, it was fun." Mal is reliving the moment.

"Which part, getting stabbed, Jayne getting shot, or Zoë's getting hit with a blunt object?" Simon manages to hold the conversation while removing the bullet from Jayne's leg.

"The look on the those Alliance purple bellies when it dawned on them what was going on." If it was at all possible, Mal's smile became even larger.

Surprised at the new, Simon wonders, "Alliance? What would the alliance be doing there?"

"Good thing we got the coin, or I would have been a might upset at all this," Jayne yelled out, "OW! Doc, what you diggin' in there for, gold?"

"Just stay still..." Simon finds what he was looking for, and with a clang, throws it into the tray laid out beside him. The doctor sews Jayne up and gives him a shot. "OK, Captain, you're next."

"Now that's a very good question? Who do you think tipped them off?" Zoë says, more than a little pissed off.

"I don't know," Mal brushed the question off, for now, "but it made it all the more fun, didn't it?" Zoë and Jayne give Mal a look that would have melted lead, but neither one of them said a word. "I love it when a job goes smooth."

"I gather, sir, that you are unaware of the wounds we have acquired while undertaking in this 'smooth job'," Zoë looks at him, again deadpan.

Suddenly the girl sits up and blurts out, "Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, third generation 5000 soldier primed and in peak physical health."

"That's a little unnerving," Simon says as he and everyone else in the infirmary stop what they are doing and snap their attention to the girl.

Everyone there, except for the mysterious girl suddenly jumps in surprise when River asks her, "Wanna' play?" Not one of them noticed River by the door.

"Sure," the girl answers with a bright and cheerful smile. Hopping off the bed, she runs after river into the cargo bay, apparently unaware that there is no back to her medical gown. Jayne begins to drool again. Zoë hits him on the back of the head. Simon, Inara and Mal just look after the girl, not understanding at all what just happened.

X X X X X

After Simon finishes patching the three up, everyone peaks in on River and her new playmate, once satisfied that there is no immediate danger, they move up to the dining area. Simon tells, Mal, Zoë, Jayne, Inara and Kaylee about his findings concerning the girl. Afterwards, Kaylee tells them about the shuttle, detailing the advanced engineering systems that she has found, and tries to persuade them to go back for it. Mal thinks it over, but is confident that the Alliance has probably found it since they are looking for the three all over the planet and the space around it for traces of shuttle two and a registered transport.

Hearing the clanging of metal, they all get up and head down to the cargo bay to see what it causing the sound. Mal stops short on the upper gantry, everyone else almost knocking him over as they notice a little to late of the sudden lack of movement, watching River and the girl fighting an apparently fierce melee using metal rods as if they were swords. They both stop after a time and look up at the crew with the most innocent of smiles on their faces. Jayne after seeing the girl revealing something else every time she moved, almost loses control, until Zoë tells him, "If you keep doing that, I'm going to have to castrate you."

Mal is not sure if River read his mind or not, but it didn't matter, because he got what he wanted when River told him, "I'll find her something to wear and we'll meet you in the dining area."

While River and the girl head back toward the passenger quarters, the rest of the crew head back up toward the dining area. "I have a feeling that the girl is a reader."

"We already know that River is a reader," Jayne shoots at Mal, then mumbling the words '_Dumb ass_', still hurting from Zoë's threat.

"Jayne, go play with your rainstick," Mal tells Jayne quietly.

Zoë, sitting next to Jayne, whispers in his ear, "The captain is referring to the girl you where drooling over, not River."

Jayne, lets out a strong breath, heavily sitting back in his chair, extremely angry about his situation with Zoë.

Mal turns to the Doctor, "What do you think about the girl?"

"Well, physically, you all already know as much as I do. Mentally, I have no idea till I get to talk to her. After what we have just witnessed: She can fence, it seems quite well, with River; She either has no discomfort with exposing her body or has no idea that she is doing it; She has been programmed somehow, judging by the first thing she said when regaining consciousness. Other than these things, I really have no idea." As Simon finished, River and the girl walk in. No longer in the medical gown, River had provided her with a sundress and boots (both are many sizes too large).

Mal turns to them both, "Please grab a seat." Holding hands, the two girls sit down next to each other. "Now, little angel, how about you telling us your name."

The girl thinks about it and then turns to River, "I don't know."

"I can see Messaline, is that your name?" River asks her.

"I don't know what that means. What is it? Is it my name?" The girl begins to look frantic, frightened.

River, looking at her and announces to everyone, "She is just realizing that she has hardly any memories other than military strategies, combat tactics, and basic communication skills. I can see Messaline, but I have no idea what it is. I think that it's her name."

The captain chews on that for a while, then asks, "Can she read minds?"

"She can, but she doesn't know how." River looks the girl in the eyes, trying to calm her, "I can teach her how though."

"Not quite yet," Mal answers a little too quickly. He considers his options for a moment, then turns to the girl, "We need to call you something. River says that she thinks Messaline is your name, any objections to us calling you that?"

"No," answers Messaline.

Simon is concerned over Messaline's reaction to suddenly realizing how much she doesn't know and speaks out, "Captain, may I have a word with you in private?"

"Yeah, Doc, sure." Mal and Simon head down toward the common area while everyone else, except for Jayne, who heads to his bunk, try to comfort Messaline.

Once, they reach their destination adjacent to the infirmary, Simon begins, "I think that it may be a good idea to take it easy on her for a while. She is obviously traumatized by the situation. Perhaps letting her work through this without pressuring her is the wisest course at the moment."

"Look, Doctor," Mal looks Simon in the eye, "She seems like a really likable girl next door kind of kid, but if you'll recall, your own darling sister, whom I very much cherish, if you recall, took down a whole slew of Reavers by her own lonesome not too long ago while we were licking our wounds. How do I know that this girl is not capable of doing the same to us?"

Simon considered this and acceded, "We don't."

"There are too many big unknowns here, not the least her being with a lot missing on her insides that the usual sort of people need on a daily basis, her playtime with River not too long ago, if you'll recall, could easily outmatch anyone here by removing their head, which, I don't mind telling you, I am kind of fond of, not to mention attached to, mine. Oh, yeah. I'm recalling the little thing she mentioned when she jumped up out of her slumber, the thing about downloading strategies and protocols and being a model soldier, and I'm not talking about the kind that everyone wants to be like." Mal sees that Simon is absorbing everything and continues, "I gather you see what I'm trying to get at?"

"Yes, and I agree." Simon considers further, but does not know what to do, "What do think we should do? I would prefer not to jettison her from the ship, if you don't mind."

"No, nothing like that. Even if we tried, I doubt we'd get very far and still be around to tell the tale." Mal comes to a decision, "She seems to have a bond with River. What do you think about your sister taking care of someone for a change instead of you taking care of her?"

Simon likes the idea and nods in agreement, "I think that it could do some good for the both of them."

"Fine, then that's how it's gonna' be for the time being."

X X X X X

**Shiny, Let's Be Badguys**

[Messaline is introduced to a life of crime and the importance of being able to follow the well laid out plans of an honorable thief.]

"Kaylee!" Mal ran from the bridge toward the engine room, "what the [speaking in Chinese] happened to the gauges?"

"Not to fret, Capn'. Everything's shiny." Kaylee, standing on a crate in her engine room, was going over some gauges above her head, then ran back to some of the pipework and electronics located in the opposite corner.

Mal got closer to see what his mechanic was doing, "like hell. We've altered course twice, our velocity is much higher than it should be, our fuel consumption went down by, way too much. Now, unless we made a quick stop at a fuel station that I was unaware of, something's wrong with the gorramn gauges."

"Nothin's wrong wit the gauges, Capn'," Kaylee turned around, caressing Serenity and smiling, "Messaline has gone and improved Serenity so that we spend half the fuel for the same thrust."

"Yeah, how'd she do that?" Mal had little patience when he thought that something was wrong with his ship.

"Simple, I don't know how I never thought about it before, First, she altered the intermix ratio..."

Mal cut her off, "Capn' dummy talk Kaylee."

"We can now do twice the maneuverin' we did before on the same amount of fuel," Kaylee wasn't sure if Mal simply didn't understand or didn't believe her, but that didn't deter her and she kept smiling, proud of what she and Messaline accomplished. "In other words, Capn', the cost of gas is now half."

"Any side affects, other than having to pay for fuel less often?"

Kaylee took a chance, "A raise and a vacation?"

Mal was hopeful about the news, but he preferred to wait and see what the results are in time and on his pocket. He smiled and kissed Kaylee on the forehead, "Nice try. Let's wait and see what time will tell." He turned around and headed toward the bridge. As he passed the dining hall, he heard clanging, "Kaylee!"

"That's nothin' to do with my engines Cap'n." He heard Kaylee's voice.

Then it dawned on him. Will he ever get used to it? He headed toward the cargo bay. On the upper gangway, he saw Zoë, Simon, Inara and Jayne looking down at River and Messaline. Mal noticed that Jayne wasn't drooling anymore. In fact, Jayne actually seemed to be studying their moves. _Good for him_, Mal thought. Coming up alongside the spectators, he observes, "I see the entertainment has begun."

"Mal, we've got to take Messaline on the job. She'd kick some serious [speaking in Chinese]," Jayne was almost hypnotized, but this time, it wasn't the reaction of a pubescent adolescence. Mal was amazed.

What was even more amazing, was that Zoë agreed, "She'd be a hell of a help if we get into a scrape, Sir."

"Yeah, well, it's something to consider." Mal's next question was directed at Simon, "How's she doin' upstairs, Doc?"

"Well, she seems to be quite normal, with the exception that she still doesn't remember a whole lot." Simon thinks about what he has noticed about Messaline this past week, "She seems to have a lot of knowledge in engineering and mechanics. Exceptional knowledge in the physical sciences. She even has some knowledge in medicine."

"That's nothin'," Jayne cut in, "I seen her take apart and put together an automatic faster'en' anyone I ever seen."

"Yes, well," Simon continued, "Her cognitive and motor skills are extremely well developed, even rivaling River's."

"Sounds like they make good playmates," Mal smiles, everyone sees that he is planning something, "You seem to have a grade A kindergarten. Just make sure they don't kill each other. I don't wanna' clean up the mess."

X X X X X

**Big Damn Heroes**

[River and Messaline must save the rest of the crew of Serenity after they are captured by badguys when the heist goes wrong.]

X X X X X

**YoSaffBridge**

[Mal's (and the rest of the 'Verse's) ex-wife shows up where the crew least expects it and manages to take the crew for a ride with an old acquaintance in hot pursuit.]

X X X X X

**This is What I Do**

[The crew is hired as muscle against the local powers that be, but are they playing Robin Hood or are they simply being played?]

X X X X X

**Racetrack**

[Persephone's racetrack is attended by all manner of folk, from aristocrats to paupers, and pillars of the community the likes of which the established businessman Badger is a member of. Will Mal manage to deal without getting the point?]

X X X X X

**UFPCOO Log 34Tauri(2020), Stardate 2262.78**

Entry by Director Harlan Simpson.

Outpost operations are nominal. All probes are accounted for and functioning nominally. No anomalies to report.

Automated probes report non-indigenous alien craft continue to probe Class P planet 34Tauri(2020)G-II. Suspected purpose for probe is colonization. Still awaiting instructions from UFPCOC regarding threat assessment. There is no sign that the alien craft detect our presence. We continue to monitor their actions.

Carol Marcus reports indigenous transport continues on trajectory toward 34Tauri(2020)G-II. Purpose for approach still unknown. Suspected purpose is detection of alien craft in orbit of 34Tauri(2020)G-II. Nature of suspected detection, unknown. Carol is continuing to observe indigenous transport.

Carol was listening to the director make his report while she was writing a letter to her mentor. She had meant for sometime to write him as promised, but there was always something that kept her from it. Now that she had some time alone, she hid in the corner behind one of the consoles and began writing:

Stardate 2268.78

Hello Professor,

I know that I haven't written for a long time now, but I've been kind of busy lately. It was totally worth it to come out here. I love it. Aside from the great company and the less than great food, I have learned so much. This culture is a spectrum of technologies: Some of the subcultures insist on living without any form of technology pertaining to electricity, while some of the subcultures are interested only in the "latest craze"; from the use of bones and stones for tools to nanotechnology, some of it rivaling UFP standards, subcultures with caste systems based on heredity or physical prowess to subcultures with caste systems based on intelligence or economic dominance. No one here is even aware of non-human species. Any information regarding them are considered conspiracy theories, children's stories or myths. Some of their entertainment broadcasts are enthralling and it is easy to become addicted. On the other hand, there are also great sorrows here. The greatest being the tragedy of the G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate. After the system wide transmission regarding the PAX, we sent probes to investigate the Reavers in the Vicinity of Miranda. They were infected by it. The crew of the COO stationed here about 13 years ago witnessed this, but they had no idea what happened, what caused it. Since the transmission, there have been changes in the Federal government. It seems to be mainly scapegoats while the actual entities which influence the direction of policy remain in power.

Anyway, something happened less than a week ago. A small craft appeared in orbit around the borderline class P Planet in orbit around 34Tauri(2020)G, habitable along its equator. Just to remind you, that's the same subsystem that the COO is located in. We are fairly sure that it did not discover us, but it seemed very interested in the planet. The consensus is the craft, and the subsequent crafts which appeared afterwards, are using some sort of folding technology to travel between this point and wherever they come from. With the exception of their folding technology, sensors indicate a very unsophisticated craft which uses a device emitting electro magnetic waves on the order 1km and longer for detection and ranging of objects. Their detection devices are virtually useless within the toroidal nebula unless within a distance of 100 kilometers and it's doubtful that they will see any detail more than a distance of about 10% of that. Actually, with the exception of the folding technology, which provide them with FTL ability, they do not seem to be any more advanced than the indigenous population of 34Tauri(2020), and in many ways, less so. Sensor probes have also enabled us to listen in on communications between the small craft. Universal translators have determined that the language of these people are variations of the ancient Terran Hellenic languages. Could these people have come from Earth of the past as the people of 34Tauri(2020) had? From what we can understand, these people are refugees of a genocidal holocaust carried out by a race of machines known as Cylons. Some of the information is very confusing about the Cylons. It seems that some of the species are organic, some mechanic and some cybernetic. In any case, it is possible that this race, should they arrive, may pose a credible threat to the COO, as well as the newcomers and the indigenous population. The director has sent word to Cultural Observation Committee and asked for instructions. The only answer that we have received, thus far, is that we are to observe the Prime Directive while they review the data and determine a course of action.

About the same time that the first craft folded into orbit, something else happened. I came across it by accident. I was observing the planet Persephone and noticed a small craft on an apparent course to the planet close to us. I don't know how they could have detected the folding technology, but there seems to be a connection. At first, everyone told me that it was my imagination and that it was a coincidence, but I was assigned to observe this craft since I was lucky enough to notice it. The indigenous population call the toroidal nebula the Black for the simple reason that, from their perspective, it is black. The nebula absorbs almost all EM radiation longer than gamma waves. This nebula is amazing. Long radio waves are absorbed almost immediately. The shorter the wave, the longer the absorption rate. The only thing that the nebula is unable to absorb is gamma waves. Now, everyone is asking about it, amazed that after almost a week, the craft is still on course for the planet. We dispatched a probe to observe it and have discovered that, though the technology is typical, even considered old, it was altered in such a way as to increase its thrust to fuel ratio in a manner that is extremely unique to the rest of the system. In fact, it seems to be on par with standard UFP impulse drives.

That pretty much brings you up to date. I miss you very much. If you get a chance, come out and visit us. You always told me that you weren't cleared for this COO. Now I know it's not true.

I'm waiting to hear from you.

Attached is the first draft of my abstract for the Habilitation Thesis. Hope you like it.


	3. The Black

Please comment, proof read, spell check, grammar check, etc. (or just plain Beta). Your help is much appreciated, itzhakts.

X X X X X

**Chapter 03: The Black**

**New Caprica**

"There she is," Messaline tells River, pointing to the planet in the distance. Sitting in the pilot's seat, knees against her chest, Messaline enjoys playing with the dinosaurs. Somehow, every time she picked one up, she was overcome with a feeling of love and warmth. At times, the feeling she got from them even made her giggle.

Mal enters the bridge and sits behind River, He looks out the window and sees a white sun lighting up a small world within a thick black soup. Neither one of the girls stir. They just look out the window. It's too quiet, Mal decides, "We there yet?"

"Just about," River answers, almost in a trance.

Looking at world, slowly getting closer, Mal asks Messaline, "What do we do now?"

"We wait," Messaline never looks at Mal, she also appears to be in a trance. Messaline only has eyes for the planet.

Mal looks from one girl to the other, not sure what to think. At first he curses to himself in Chinese. He then sighs, repeating, "We wait." For the umpteenth time, he thinks it's a bad idea, but he won't renege on his promise unless he sees danger. For the life of him, he doesn't know why he promised the two girls that they'll all take a gander. _We wait_, he thinks to himself again. _Hope we find something worthwhile_. He gets up to leave the bridge, all of a sudden he finds himself thinking, _it's good that we're headin' out there. What we find may be more than a little profitable_.

X X X X X

Carol, off duty at the moment, watches Serenity on the monitor, wondering what they are up to. Why would they come all the way out here? Everyone is certain that the small ship and its crew could not have detected either the UFPCOO or the folding of space created by the small survey vessels investigating the planet which they have designated as New Caprica. The aborigines of 34Tauri(2020) call this area of space 'The Black' because their sensor equipment will not operate in the nebula, thus, the indigenous population avoid the area. Over the centuries, ghost stories and the like have popped up due to their fear of the nebula. _So why have the crew of the transport arrived here?_ Carol watches as Serenity approaches the planet and enters orbit. They are not doing anything. Not landing, not sending shuttles to the planet. Just waiting. Suddenly she sees a flash of light and a vessel appears. The magnetic turbulence from the jump pushes the tiny Serenity aside, spinning out of control. Immediately afterwards, many ships of all shapes and sizes jump in orbit of the planet. A final ship appears, even larger than the first. The outpost's klaxon is sounded signaling general quarters. Carol jumps, startled by the noise and lights. She puts on some clothes and heads for the control room.

X X X X X

Lieutenant Felix Gaeta scans his monitor in the Battlestar Galactica's CIC and reports, "Jump complete. We are in orbit around New Caprica."

Immediately after, Petty Officer Anastasia (Dee) Dualla reports, "We have all ships present and accounted for, Sir."

Admiral William Adama is at the central command console, his back to the two officers, turns his head slightly, ordering Dee, "Send word to Pegasus..."

The Admiral never finishes his order as he is interrupted by Gaeta, "Admiral, we have an unknown contact just outside Galactica. It's possible that we jumped almost on top of it."

"Launch the alert fighters, set Condition One throughout the fleet." The Admiral orders. He looks over at his XO, Colonel Saul Tigh. "I want to know what that ship is and if it is Cylon."

Saul Tigh receives the signal that the alert fighters on Galactica and Pegasus are launching. In the background, the following can be heard, "Action Stations, Action Stations, Set Condition One throughout the fleet. This is not a drill."

X X X X X

"What the [speaking in Chinese] was that?" Mal yelled out, hitting his head on the window as suddenly there was nothing holding him to the deck. With the exception of emergency lighting, everything is dark. The only other source of light is from the windows of Serenity, flicking in and out of existence as the ship spins, occasionally letting in light from the star or the reflection from the planet.

"I don't know Capn', everythin's fried," Kaylee is heard yelling from the engine room, "Nothin's workin'. No propulsion, no life support. It's as if we were hit by an extremely powerful electromagnetic pulse of some kind."

Jayne could be heard from the dining area, "Somethin's out there. A lot of somethins'."

Mal suddenly saw them too as soon as he shook the stars out of his head. Outside the window of the bridge, he saw what seemed to be a squadron of long slender fighters and boxy support craft on one side as the ship spun. On the other, he just saw a wall of metal. The wall obviously was part of a ship. Hearing clanging on the outer hull, he knew that one of the crafts was attaching itself to Serenity, probably one of the boxy craft. Though Serenity began to stop spinning, nothing inside did. Everyone (and everything) continued in the direction Serenity was spinning in until they encountered something that stopped them. Suddenly, they all started hurtling aft while the ships outside towed Serenity forward. Mal floated from the bridge to the aft section of the dining are before he got a hold of something to stop him. "Everyone alive?" he called out. Voices from all around him confirmed so, though Kaylee and Simon reported some bumps and bruises. Mal went over the voices in his head again. Inara had not answered. She's probably in her shuttle. Mal struggled forward through the dining area and down the gangway to the cargo bay. Moving along the safety rails, he made his way toward Shuttle One. Though difficult, he managed to open the airlock. "Inara, you in there?"

"Yes. I'm here. I'm OK." Inara was grateful to hear Mal's voice. It was pitch black. Without gravity, she didn't know which way was which. She focused on the dim light coming from the hatchway and tried to move toward it. She was unable to get a hold of anything, so she tried swimming, hoping that the air would provide enough resistance for movement. She was halfway there when all of a sudden the floor made itself known to her, and it was hard. "Ow, [speaking in Chinese]!" she let out. Gravity was restored somehow, but there was still no power.

"You all right?" Mal said, not sure to be grateful if gravity was back or not. His arm was hurting from the impact against the airlock door's knee knockers. Less than a minute later, he saw light coming at him.

The light was getting closer. "Sir, are you all right?" It was Zoë with a search light. She handed a spare to him.

Turning it on, he shined it into the shuttle looking for Inara, "Yeah. You know what's going on with everyone else?"

"Everyone is assembled in the dining area, waiting for us." Mal had gone into the shuttle and was already on his way out with Inara.

"Let's get up there and join them."

X X X X X

Everyone was accounted for. Simon had a bandage on his head and Kaylee on her arm. But everyone seemed to be none the worse for their experience thus far. Suddenly they hear creaking and then a voice. It was a man's voice, but they could not understand him.

While the man was speaking, Messaline turned her head to pay attention. She answered the man. None of the crew understood her, but she was conversing with him. Looking at each other and then to her, the crew just waited. Realizing that all eyes were on her, Messaline asked, "What?"

"Did you understand him?" Mal asked.

"Yes, why, didn't you?" Messaline looked around at her mates and each one just looked at her dumbfounded.

River just smiled, "Everyone here thinks that they're Alliance. They're not. They're who you were waiting for."

From each end of the room they saw incredibly strong lights shine in. The crew was barely able to make out the weapons pointed at them. The man barked out instructions and Messaline answered. Then to the crew, she said, "I told them that you don't understand their language and that I will translate."

Mal looked at her, "well?"

"He wants all of us to put our hands on our heads while they search us for weapons."

X X X X X

Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace dressed in marine uniform entered the Pegasus' CIC and walked up to Commander Lee "Apollo" Adama. They together walked over to a relatively quiet corner to talk.

"What's up Kara, what did you find?" Lee handed a clipboard to someone and looked up at Kara.

"I'm not sure what to make out of it. It's a weird group. There are eight of them all together. Out of the eight, only one of them can communicate..."

Lee cut her off, "What do you mean, they can't talk?"

"No, I mean that they don't speak any of the languages that the fleet speaks. The one that did know Caprican, also knows all the languages. I mean fluently. I mean, she even speaks better than I can," Lee smirks. Kara cuts him off, "Not a word, Lee."

Lee gets serious, "Could they be Cylons?"

"Well, if they are, then there are two more Cylon models than the twelve the old man was warned about. Something else, I think that one of them is pregnant."

"Pregnant? How do you know?"

"I don't know, she just looks it."

"Did you ask?"

"No, that's the Doc's department anyway."

"OK, better let him know that just in case."

"Yeah. Anyway, the transport they were on closely resembles the ones used in the colonies, but there are differences. The big things are that everything is written in a language that no one can identify and the computers are weird."

"What do you mean weird?"

"Weird. I mean that they seem to follow a different set of rules than our computers do."

Lee considers. "OK, take pictures of all of them and see if Sharon can identify them. I'm going to talk to the old man."

"Already have them and they were transmitted to Helo on Galactica right before I got here. He said that he'll ask her." Lee wasn't surprised. Kara was very good at what she does. "You think President Elect Baltar will test samples from these guys or you think he's above all that already?"

"Now that's a good question." Lee smiles at her, "Let's talk to the old man."

X X X X X

Many people of the fleet think that the Major in Doctor Sherman Cottle's title refers to, not his rank, rather the level of suffering and distress which people feel in their posterior when around him. Still, he is the Fleet's Chief Medical Officer and he was the best person for the job, though his bedside manner was rumored to be the worst. Cottle entered the Pegasus' sickbay. All he knew was that he was supposed to give physicals to prisoners and he made sure that everyone knew that it was a waste of his time. His first patient walked in. A short blonde girl who didn't stop smiling and was looking at everything, taking it all in. Behind her, three armed female marines. Cottle really didn't like firearms in the sickbay, but he didn't have a choice.

A nurse asked the marines to take the girl into a curtained room and handed the girl a medical gown. After donning the gown, all the time under constant supervision of the marines, the girl sat on the bed and waited for the doctor. The curtain was pulled aside and Cottle walked in. Closing the curtain again behind him, he picked up the chart, scanned it, put it down and looked at the girl. He was in an especially grumpy mood today.

"What's your name?" he asked the girl.

"Didn't you just see it on the chart?" the girl asked?

"Yes." Cottle's mood didn't improve, "What's your name?" he asked again.

"My name's Messaline, what's yours?" the girl responded, all bright eyed, cheery and smiling.

"I'm doctor Cottle. Where are you from?"

Messaline's smile faded, "I don't know."

Doctor Cottle took this as a sign of defiance, and decided to forgo the questions. The dossier he was given noted that the girl had memory problems, but he'll be the judge of that. He pulled out a stethoscope from a drawer and checked her chest. Something was wrong. He put the stethoscope to his chest. He returned the stethoscope to the girl's chest. He took the stethoscope and threw back into a drawer. "Nurse," Cottle called out.

The nurse pulled the curtain aside and stuck her head in. "Yes, Doctor?"

Turning to the nurse, "Get her to imaging. I want her checked out from top to bottom." He then turned to the girl, "go with the nurse, she'll tell you what to do."

"I think that you are going to be somewhat surprised at what you'll see," Messaline commented.

"After what I heard in your chest, I bet I will." Cottle walked out and lit a cigarette. The marines escorted Messaline and the nurse.

X X X X X

In Lee's quarters, he, Admiral William Adama, President Laura Roslin, President Elect Doctor Gaius Baltar and Kara discuss the current situation regarding their newfound 'guests'.

Kara is doing most of the talking, "Doc Cottle is giving them physicals right now, he said he'll let us know if he finds anything unusual. According to our resident Cylon, none of them are Cylons, but then again, she didn't let on that dear Brother Cavil was a Cylon either. Patrols have conducted a visual search of the surrounding space and have found no signs of Cylons, or anything else for that matter." This does not fill the Admiral with much confidence since DRADIS is not functioning properly and visual scans are extremely limited. Kara continued, "Telescopic visual scans are limited because of the peculiar properties of the nebula. The vessel brought aboard Pegasus' landing bay has been transferred to the Celestra for examination. They said that they'll have something for us within the next day or so.

"As for our guests, Messaline is the only one of the group that can communicate with us, so we utilized her as a translator. Messaline claims that she doesn't know where she came from or why or how she's familiar with all our languages. Apparently she had an accident some time back and lost her memory. The crew of the vessel found her and she's been with them since. She claimed that they come from this system which contains at least five more stars and hundreds of planets and moons populated by billions of humans." This has everyone's attention.

Baltar looks as if he's coming out of a trance, suddenly understanding what's happening, "Are you telling me that these people are from around here? They aren't from the colonies?"

"Yes, Doctor," Admiral Adama answered calmly, "For now, I want to keep this information confidential until I know if there is any threat to the fleet."

"Threat to the fleet?" Baltar repeated in surprise. "Threat to the fleet? You bring aboard people from an environment which we have never encountered, letting them have casual contact with who knows whom and now you're telling me that you want to know if there's any threat to the fleet?"

"Doctor," the Admiral says calmly, "What are you trying to say?"

"Not all threats are bullets, missiles and robots. If these people are really humans from another civilization, one we have never encountered before, they may be carrying germs for which we have no immunity." Baltar simply stands and looks at him, "Does Doctor Cottle know who they are and where they're from?"

"No," Lee adds, "All he knows is that they are prisoners and suspected Cylons."

"Has anyone left the Pegasus since these 'guests' have been brought aboard?"

Admiral Adama considers what Baltar has presented while Lee calls CIC and cancels all departures and arrivals to and from Pegasus. Once he is off the phone, Lee turns says, "No one has departed Pegasus since the arrival of the newcomers other than to and from the Celestra. Pegasus is now quarantined until further notice."

"The Celestra will also have to be quarantined along with any other vessel the crew and passengers have come in contact with. I think that I should head down to medical and run tests on our guests or prisoners or aliens or whatever you would like to call them." Baltar gets up and leaves.

"Lee, go with him and try to keep this on a need to know bases only. I don't trust him to keep this under his hat if he's stressed." The older Adama tells the younger. Lee gets up and goes after Baltar. Admiral Adama gets on the phone ordering the Celestra to be quarantined and that a marine detachment be sent immediately to enforce it. Additionally, the Celestra is to travel in tight formation with Pegasus. Once finished, he turns to Kara, "Try to get coordinates as accurate as possible for the location of these planets and moons and then organize a plan for Raptor teams to verify," the Admiral considers further. "Make sure that the teams understand they are strictly to observe and under no circumstances are they to initiate contact."

"Yes, Sir," Kara acknowledged, and continued, "Right now, Messaline's with Doc Cottle getting a physical." Kara looks at her notes and continues.

"Malcolm Reynolds is a Merchant Captain. His primary occupation is the trading of goods. He pretty much tells the same story that Messaline did regarding population centers. When I asked him what they were doing out here, Messaline told me that she had convinced him that there would be profitable opportunities here. I also asked him why we haven't detected any traffic other than his vessel. Apparently, this area of the system is known as the Black. He doesn't know why no one travels here, but it's been tabooed for generations.

"Zoë Alleyne Washburne is the First Mate of the vessel. She is pregnant about two thirds along. She also tells the same story of the population centers.

"Simon Tam is the vessels doctor. He appears to be the most educated and has the most knowledge regarding what they call the core worlds and their system of government.

"Kaywinnit Lee Frye is the vessels mechanic. Beyond what her work entails, she doesn't appear to know much else, but she does tell of the population centers.

"Jayne Cobb is what Messaline labels a mission specialist, but if you ask me, he's a mercenary. He didn't say much, but it seems like he isn't too bright either. He began to lash out at one point, taking out three marines and knocked me on my..."

"Three?" Laura repeated in surprise, "How did you subdue him?"

Kara looked uncomfortable, "Messaline did."

"Messaline?" This time it was the Admiral's turn to repeat in surprise, "Did she say anything regarding the incident?"

Kara smirked, "Yeah, she said she loved him, but sometimes he's a pain in the ass." Adama and Roslin both smiled at the remark.

Kara continued, "Inara Serra is a Socialator, though she doesn't service the crew. It seems that a Socialator in this society is a psychological therapist specializing in sexual disorders. I don't see the difference though. She also seems to be very educated and understand a great deal of the system of government.

"River Tam is Simon Tam's sister. Her attention was all over the place. I can't be sure, but I think that she suffers from some kind of communication disorder or something.

"I also asked them about Earth." This was a definite attention getter. Would Admiral Adama and President Roslin object to her asking potential hostiles this question? She hoped not.

"Well," Laura asked, "Don't keep us in suspense."

"None of them knew where Earth was, but Simon, River and Inara all talked about an 'Earth-That-Was', saying that they are the descendents of the inhabitants of Earth who left because the planet could no longer sustain life."

The phone rings and Admiral Adama answers. Cottle is at the door and is granted entry. Cottle is clearly disturbed. "What's wrong Doctor," Admiral Adama asks.

As Cottle enters, Baltar and Lee run up behind him, obviously catching up to him, and they all sit down. Cottle hands the results of Messaline's scans to Baltar. "The girl Messaline, she isn't human." Everyone looks at one another, except for the Admiral who continues to look at Doctor Cottle.

"Is she a Cylon, Doctor?" Admiral Adama asks calmly.

"I don't know, but she's like nothing I've ever seen, not in a human and not in a Cylon."

"This is incredible," Baltar said after skimming the results of the scan, "You have verified these readings?" Everyone looks towards him.

"Did them twice. She's got two of things she should have one of, none of things she should have two of, and a whole bunch of things that I have no idea what they are. Her blood has no hemoglobin. Even the Cylons have hemoglobin in their blood. She also has an extra lobe in her brain."

Everyone absorbs what the Doctor is saying. Admiral Adama takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes and puts them back on, "Do you think that she poses a threat?"

"A threat? What? Do you mean if she'll explode at any second? I don't know. I have no idea how she's even alive, or functioning, or whatever. She looks human. She looks as if she's breathing, but she has no lungs. She's warm to the touch even though her core temperature reads less than 44% of what a normal person should be. I don't know what to make of her. In the meantime, I have sent her back to the cell. We're running tests on the rest of the prisoners."

"Make sure that you run tests for anything that may be infectious to us." Baltar jumps in.

"I can only test for what I know, I can't test for what I don't." Cottle throws back at him.

"Let us know what else you find out, Doctor," Admiral Adama acknowledged him. "Dismissed." Cottle just gave him a look, then turned around and left. The Admiral turned to Baltar, "If these people have brought about some sort of infection, how long would it be before we see any sign of it?"

"Every disease has its own incubation period." Baltar seems to mentally disappear for a moment and then returns. He continues, "I would imagine that if there are no symptoms after sixty days, then we can be fairly certain that there are no infections from our guests."

"Sixty Days?" Kara repeats out loud, not liking what she was hearing.

"Settle down, Starbuck," Admiral Adama says. Laura, on more than one occasion, notices that the Admiral is always so calm under pressure. "In the meantime, I suggest that we conduct business as usual as long as we can avoid physical contact with others in the fleet. Doctor Baltar, I suggest that we let President Roslin act as Colonial Ambassador once you have taken over the duties of the Office of the President, so that she may find a way to open communications with the Humans of this system."

Baltar didn't like the idea, but he didn't want to butt heads with Adama if he didn't have to. He'll have to pick his battles. Besides, he was anxious to get to sickbay and begin running tests. "Very well, Admiral." Baltar got up, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think that I should be with Doctor Cottle."

Baltar leaves and Lee is on his heels.

When the door closes, "Colonial Ambassador?" Laura looked at William Adama.

"I could think of nobody better for the job if we want these people to take us seriously." William Adama smiled at her.

Kara looked at them uncomfortably. She waited for a moment, stood at attention, then, "Permission to leave you two alone, Sir?" Kara asked.

Both Adama and Roslin straightened up and rose from the couch, " it's time we found something to do as well." Adama said as he and Roslin headed for the door arm in arm. Once in the main junction, the separated and Kara ran up to join her Admiral.

"Don't you think it's time you two got a room?" Kara asked playfully. The Admiral shot her a look and Kara quickly added, "Sir."

"What do you hear, Starbuck?" the Admiral asked Kara.

"Sir?"

"What do you hear?" he said louder.

"Nothin' but the rain," Kara answered confused.

"Make sure that's all you hear when you see Roslin and me together." Adama said with a straight face. Kara just looked at him, not knowing how to react. Then he let out a tiny smile and a wink. She then grabbed his arm and hugged it. "Don't you have something to do?" He asked her as they walked towards Pegasus' CIC.

"Roger that, Boss." Kara almost couldn't contain herself.

X X X X X

**Quarantine**

The Fleet had been advise that Pegasus was under quarantine and that there was no cause for alarm, it was just precautionary. Caps were flown, but there were no landings on Pegasus other than those which departed from Pegasus. None of Pegasus' aircraft landed anywhere else.

After everyone of Serenity's crew had completed their physicals, they were escorted back to their cell. The area consisted of three rooms side by side approximately four meters by eight meters each. Each of the outer rooms had bunk beds. The central room had four doors, one to each cell on opposite sides of the room and one on an adjacent wall leading to a storage room and bathroom, and on the opposite side, leading to the rest of the ship. It was this last door that opened. The central room was completely empty. The soldiers, unarmed, brought in a lot of stuff.

"What're they up to?" Jayne was fed up with being confined. Actually they all were, but it was most easily seen on him. They all watched behind the thick window.

When the soldiers were finished, their construct turned out to be a large table with twelve chairs. As soon as they left, another team came in bringing items.

"It seems that it's dinner time." Mal noticed they laying out utensils and placing trays of food in the center of the table.

"Fine by me, I'm starvin'" Kaylee was trying to see what exactly they brought. When this team finished, the left without a sound.

The next to enter was a single marine with his weapon slung over his shoulder. This was a nice change. Behind him, a woman, obviously someone of import and not connected to the military, came in, smiling.

The door to the cell opened. The woman turned to Messaline and asked her to translate. "Please, come and sit down," Laura invited them to the table. As soon as they stepped out of the cell, they noticed two marines by each side of the door.

_When did they have a chance to come in without being seen_, Mal thought. As his point of view changed, he noticed two more marines stationed outside the door as well.

As soon as they were all seated, Laura spoke up, "My name is Laura Roslin..."

River, smiling at Laura, interrupted, "The President Teacher. You I like." Everyone turned to River, surprised at what she said. One marine, turned an eye over at her for a second, then was back at attention.

"You can speak Caprican?" Laura was surprised. The grammar needed work, as did the pronunciation, but the girl was very understandable.

"Yes," River answered. "I listen, I associate, I repeat."

"That's wonderful!" Laura was elated.

Messaline explained what happened to the crew and continued to translate as Laura spoke. "I have been assigned to look after you and learn as much as you can teach me about your star system."

"Wait a second there," Mal was confused. "Are you saying that you're not from here? That you're from somewhere else? As in beyond the black?" Jayne, Simon, Inara and Kaylee were noticeably uncomfortable with Mal's revelation. Zoë sat still, the perpetual soldier under these circumstances, observing everything. River just smiled at Laura, extremely pleased with her.

"We are a fleet of refugees looking for a safe haven. Our home is, was a long way from here," Laura revealed.

"How long did it take you to get here?" Simon asked. Laura answered and Messaline translated the time. Simon considered, "Well, it couldn't be that far away, if it took you less than a year to get here."

Messaline smiled and informed him, "They have the capability to travel by folding space and can move about 16 light years in an instant."

Looking almost numb, Simon amended, "It could be a long way away from here."

Kaylee was excited at the news, "anything that can make a ship move that fast, I've go to see."

"They're not moving when they're traveling. They're just here and then they're there." River said while looking at something on the ceiling. During the whole conversation, Laura was enchanted by River. She read the report by Doctor Cottle that she went through some sort of medical procedure on her brain. River turns to Laura, smiling at her again, in Laura's language saying "You're family is here."

"What?" Laura is astonished by her words. Behind her, William Adama, Lee Adama and Kara Thrace walk in. "Oh."

"I apologize," the Admiral said, mostly to Laura, than to anyone else. "I was detained."

As the three sat down, the speakers blared out, "Action Stations, Action Stations. Set condition one throughout the fleet. This is not a drill."

Lee got up and ran to the phone beside the door, picked it up, pressed a button and waited half a second, "Report," he ordered. After a few seconds, he hung up. He turned to his father and said, "Cloud Nine has exploded. Initial reports say that it was an internal explosion. Debris has destroyed ships in its vicinity and damaged many others. Alert fighters have been launched just in case."

"Excuse us, please." Admiral Adama was always polite toward guests, no matter the situation. The Adamas and Kara left the room.

X X X X X

After their meal, Laura informed the crew that they were not prisoners and that the three rooms are for their use. Movement around the vessel is only under escort, but they may request an escort at any time barring any crises situation, whereby they were to be confined to these three rooms until it was over. She then left to meet with Cottle and discuss what his result revealed regarding the examinations. Cottle mentioned that Mal, Jayne, Simon and Kaylee are in good health and seemed to be genuine humans, as is Zoë who, at the end of her second trimester, is well as is her daughter. Inara and River are also human, but both are not in prime health. River has been operated on. For no apparent reason, she has had brain surgery multiple times with partial removal of tissue regulating suppression and other functions. Inara has a form of degenerative disease that he has never encountered before, a sort of cancer, but not really. She is in no immediate danger, but she has at most ten years to live. Messaline is the only real anomaly. He can't make heads or tails of her. She simply is not human, but she also does not appear to be Cylon, unless she is a model that is unknown to them, and he has absolutely no explanation for it.

The Raptor investigative teams had returned from their survey of the system and had confirmed almost everything that the crew of Serenity has told them about. Hundreds of inhabited worlds, billions of humans throughout the system. One team had encountered a hostile vessels in the vicinity of a technologically advanced world that seemed to have been abandoned. All this information was passed on to the Colonial Ambassador to prepare her for her assignment.

Laura works with the crew of Serenity over the next few weeks in order to learn their language and as much of their culture as she possibly can. Laura was especially drawn to River. River picked up the Caprican language very quickly, and within two weeks, was speaking at a level that she was able to assist in basic translations, including reading and writing. Each were assigned duties. Simon and River were assigned to Medical. Messaline and Inara were assigned as aides to Ambassador Laura Roslin under the supervision of Tory Foster, Laura's former Presidential Chief of Staff. Mal, Zoë, Kaylee and Jayne were assigned to Pegasus' Deck Chief, Peter Laird. Duty shifts are purposely very relaxed to provide ample time for the crew to return to their quarters to study the Caprican language by Messaline. Messaline also invests much time in teaching Laura and Tory English and Chinese so that they may perform their roles as Ambassadors, when the time came. Jayne spends much of his free time in the Pegasus' gym. Simon and River spend much of their free time in Medical because Simon feels obligated to help as much as he can. Doctor Cottle often converses with Simon, with River's help. Though unwilling to say so, Cottle is very impressed with Simon's abilities. Kaylee ends up spending as much of her free time volunteering in medical just so that she can see Simon as much as she can. Zoë is frequently asked to rest during her off hours, but refuses to do so (it appears a pregnant woman is a precious commodity in the fleet and everyone goes out of their way to be extra kind). Zoë does not appreciate the extra attention and prefers to work instead. She is then assigned to assist Simon in Medical so the staff can keep an eye on her. As the end of the Quarantine grows near, Zoë approaches the end of her eighth month. Mal and Inara have come to spend much time together during their free time, not really doing anything, they are satisfied to just walk together quietly roaming throughout the halls, occasionally being turned around by security personnel when straying too far.

By the end of the quarantine period, Jayne is getting very antsy. "I don't know how much longer I can take this. I need to get off this ship already. It's boring as hell here. There's no decent bars and you can't even start a brawl with anyone without the marines stickin' a rifle in your face. I'm goin' batty here!"

"I know what you mean," Mal agrees, "but in the mean time, I don't see that we have much choice without Serenity."

Suddenly, as if to answer Jayne's prayers to end his boredom, the loudspeaker announces, "Action stations, action stations, set condition one throughout the colony. This is not a drill."

"Well, you said that you were bored, didn't you." Mal smiled at Jayne and tried to use his broken Caprican to communicate with the guard outside the door, "What's going on here?"

"I don't know, sir." the guard answers, remaining at attention. "I try not to speculate if I can avoid it." The phone beside the door rings and the guard answers by stating his name. "Yes, ma'am. Captain Reynolds is here." a pause, and then, "Yes, ma'am." The guard turns to Mal and informs him that Laura is on her way and she would like to ask you a few questions.

Laura arrives with Tory, Messaline and Inara. She asks everyone to sit by the table. Tory pulls out a few sheets of paper and places them on the table. They are pictures of a ship from different angles.

Zoë and Mal instantly recognize it and become deadly serious. Laura and Tory both look at them and see the recognition on their faces. "What is it?" Tory asks.

"It's a Victoria Class Corvette, Alliance military, Special Ops." Zoë states.

"Special Ops? Why would it be out here?" Tory looks from Mal to Zoë, "Looking for you?"

"They've detected the nuclear explosion and were sent to investigate." River is doing a handstand in the corner, tights concealing the portion her upturned skirt normally would had she been standing upright. "Somebody had better say to them, 'We come in peace,' before they find you and get too nervous."

Simon begins to get nervous. He turns to Laura and asks to speak to her privately. Trying to tell her what's on his mind, he's unsuccessful, so he asks River to help. "My brother is afraid that they will find me and take me away. But it won't happen because you won't let them," calmly, playfully, River tells Laura what is on Simon's mind. "He's afraid that they will torture me as they once did, trying to force me to do bad things."

Laura is surprised by what she has heard. She heads off to speak to William Adama.

X X X X X

**We Come In Pieces**

William Adama, Laura Roslin, Tory Foster and Messaline walk off the Raptor on to Galactica's hangar deck. Colonel Tigh is there to meet Adama. "Good to have you back. Enjoy your vacation?"

Adama smiles at his old friend and comrade in arms. "Ship still in one piece, Saul?"

"As much as it could be. The crew will be glad that you're back." Tigh reports to Adama as they walk side by side toward the CIC. "Raptors are monitoring the Alliance vessel. We're ready to intercept them when you give the word."

"Spool up the FTL drive," Adama orders.

X X X X X

On the small bridge of the corvette, a soldier suddenly notices something that he swears was not there a second ago, "Ma'am, we are detecting a ship about 10,000 kilometers ahead on an intercept course. It's larger than a Crete Carrier, Ma'am. Much larger."

"No sign of it prior to now? Interesting. Hold course." The Commander of the corvette didn't even have a rank. She simply was addressed as 'Ma'am'. She simply had no other designation. In fact, she did not even have a uniform. She wore a black skintight full body leotard, black stiletto heeled knee high boots and a black sari that draped her two meter tall well toned body (totaling 212 centimeters with her boots), her extremely long black hair was braided so neatly and tightly that not a strand was out of place anywhere. Though everyone, behind closed doors, tries to guess, no one is able to identify which mix of ethnicities she comes from nor can they guess her age, she is an absolutely timeless beauty. With an even dark complexion and clear dark eyes she is so breathtaking that it is difficult for the crew, even the female members, to refocus on their duties once they have looked at her. When she speaks, she's hypnotic. Everything about her is graceful, elegant, personable yet mysterious. But, with all this, her mind is always on her mission, and it never strays, even when it appears to others that it does. She is a very efficient agent of the Alliance. She always gets the job done. She does not wish to cause harm or destroy, especially without cause, but if she must, she has no qualms about it.

Behind her, another soldier addresses her, "We are receiving a transmission, Ma'am."

"Let's hear it." She tells the soldier, sitting casually in the seat beside this soldier.

A female voice is making the address, "This is Admiral Adama representing the refugees of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. We humbly and respectfully request an audience with the commander of your vessel. Please respond."

_Interesting. Could this be a trick?_ "Could you give me a close-up of the ship?" the agent addresses the first soldier.

The soldier which discovered the ship works at his keyboard. "I can, but due to the properties of the nebula, the image is rather poor."

"That's fine, let's see it." Very interesting. She's never seen anything like it before. What the hell, she decides. She turns back to the female soldier, "Open a channel."

"Online."

"Admiral Adama, I would be honored to meet with you. How do you suggest we proceed?" _This promises to be very interesting experience_.

X X X X X

The agent's crew did not like it when she crawled through an airlock into the small craft the Galactica sent over. The agent thought to herself that she needed to suggest to the designers of the corvette that an auxiliary craft would be useful at times. There were two people manning the craft. The Pilot and the the Radio Electronics Officer? They both had helmets on. The REO looked up at her, she was very young the agent thought.

"Plis Sit hir," The young woman said. The young woman obviously didn't speak English. The agent sat down and allowed the REO to secure her. "Oh Ki?" The woman asked, smiling?

"Yes, Xie xie." The agent replied. The young woman seemed please. She secured the airlock, returned to her seat, secured herself, and said something the agent could not understand, apparently into a communications device. _What language was that?_ The craft detached from her vessel and headed toward the Galactica.

X X X X X

As soon as the REO unstrapped the agent, she took off her helmet and opened the door of the craft. A reception was waiting for her. As the Agent exited the Raptor, many people just looked at her in awe, these were obviously the civilians. The military personnel were extremely professional at perpetual attention. She noticed only the slightest deviation from them, actions that the untrained would not have noticed. The military uniforms were unfamiliar to her, but some of the civilian fashions would not be unfamiliar on many worlds. An officer stepped forward with a very petite young blonde girl at his side. Looking up into her eyes, the distinguished man said something which the agent could not understand.

"I am Admiral William Adama, commander of the fleet of refugees of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. Welcome aboard the Battlestar Galactica." The blonde girl said, obviously translating.

Looking at Adama, "Hello Admiral, the pleasure is mine. I am an agent of the Union of Allied Planets." _How is it that this girl knows our language and none of the others do? Is she a specialist whose task was to study us? Is this a prelude to invasion or are they as the say they are, refugees?_ So many questions. She now began to wonder if there were first contact procedures at all in existence. The little she had already seen convinced her that these people were not of the 'Verse. None of the writing was familiar. None of the words spoken during the trip from her ship were recognizable. She must assess the security threat these people posed and then report back to the parliament as soon as possible.

"How may we address you?" Adama asked, via Messaline.

"You may address me as Agent," courteous as ever.

"We have a tour planned for you, if you'd like. Afterwards, we would like to discuss the possibility of open peaceful relations between our governments." Adama stepped to one side and extended his arm, obviously as a gesture for her to proceed forward.

_Perhaps these people aren't so different from us, judging by their body language_, "I would like that very much, thank you." She proceeded and Adama walked beside her continuing the conversation via Messaline who was a step behind, ever smiling.

X X X X X


End file.
